Running head: IMMIGRANT INTERVIEW

Immigrant Interview

Jamie L Funes

College of Southern Nevada

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Immigrant Interview

All names and dates have been changed to protect the personal information of the

interviewee. Mrs. Jane Doe was born January 1st, 1976, in Cairo Egypt. Growing up in Egypt,

her family was considered to be upper class, and they lived in an area of Cairo called Maadi.

Maadi is a higher end community, with many international schools, beautiful houses, embassies,

and restaurants much more. Mrs. Doe explained that many expats (foreigners) and their families

chose to live in Maadi because of all it had to offer. The culture of the area is a unique blend of

heritage, spanning thousands of years. The people are friendly, mild-mannered and easygoing.

According to Haboush (2007), the U.S. census bureau identifies as Arabs those people

whose ancestry originates in Arabic speaking countries, even though not all these individuals

consider themselves Arabs (Manning & Baruth, 2009). Mrs. Doe stated that Arabic is the

primary language in her home. However, French and English are also spoken. Schools usually

teach multiple languages [therefore Arab Egyptian] immigrants come to the United States

having learned two or three languages (Manning & Baruth, 2009). Schooling is considered

important and encouraged for all genders. Mrs. Doe stated that, attending and graduating

school was seen as a sign that the parents did a good job raising their children. Arab Americans

invest in their children through education, which is seen as a social asset and religious duty

necessary for the survival of both individuals and groups (Manning & Baruth, 2009)

Traditional Arab culture is patriarchal, or male dominated (Manning & Baruth, 2009).

Being Egyptian as well as Christian, Mrs. Does family followed a less traditional approach. She

recalled how both parents worked to support their family, and when she and her sister were old

enough, they also started working. Mrs. Doe went on to graduate with a degree in accounting

from Cairo University in 1996 and, soon after, married an engineer who had obtained a job in
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Boston, Massachusets, USA. After their honeymoon, Mr. Doe returned to the United States,

while Mrs. Doe returned to Egypt to pack and make arrangements to move to the United States

with her husband.

In January of 2004, Mrs. Doe boarded a plane to make the long journey across the ocean

to her new home in Boston, Massachusetts. Wanting to work and to become a US Citizen, she

had to obtain a green card and then wait the allotted five years to start the process of becoming a

US Citizen. Mrs. Doe stated that, due to her husband being an Engineer with a formal offer to

work in the United States, they both were allowed to obtain a green card without her having a

job. From start to finish the whole process took one year. Soon after, Mrs. Doe started taking

classes in Real Estate Sales, which she used to obtain a job in a Real Estate office. The couple

made a life, in Boston, for themselves and started a family. She was able to convince her family

in Egypt to move to Boston, and all have since obtained their citizenship.

In 2010, she and her family moved to Las Vegas, Nevada where she applied for United

States Citizenship. Mrs. Doe went through the necessary steps for citizenship; filling out the

appropriate paperwork, going to her interview in which she was asked questions concerning her

application and background, took her English and Civics test (her knowledge of the language and

history of the United States), and had her employer sign paperwork stating that she was able to

do her job efficiently with little to no help. Upon her approval, she then went to court to take her

Oath of Allegiance. Mrs. Doe estimated it took about four months to complete her citizenship;

she also stated that the process for citizenship in Nevada was fast and efficient compared to what

her sister went through in Boston which took about a year.

Living in Las Vegas for the past seven years has been an experience for the Doe family.

One example she gave was when, she was walking home and saw a neighbor from her apartment
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complex, she said, good morning, and the gentlemen looked directly at her and turned around

with an expression of irritation and disgust on his face. Many times Mrs. Doe claimed to have

experienced the same prejudice. Many Immigrant[s] to the United States may encounter

problemscultural adjustments, prejudices, poverty, and neighborhood tensions (Manning &

Baruth, 2009). Because living in American was better for their family, they decided to stay and

work around the differences and prejudices they were confronted with. Finding a school that

provided a safe environment for her children to learn and grow was a top priority and was found

at a Christian Academy. She found a welcoming group of people in the school, which lead her to

change her point of view of Americans.

Expectations upon moving to the United States were simple; she didn't want to be

condemned for being outspoken, having to cover her legs, hair and so on. She wanted a better

income, to be able to help support her family and live her life without the constraints of

traditions. Medical coverage was also a huge deciding factor. Mrs. Doe stated, In Egypt there

is no preventative health care or vaccines for children. When you get sick you go to the doctor

and they give you what medicine they can. While certain expectations have been met, others

have fallen short. Over the last ten years, many challenges have arisen. The lack of acceptability

and friendliness by other people, the language barrier, and cultural differences have all

contributed to her thoughts of the American culture. Mrs. Doe has concluded that, That is how

people are raised, so I dont take it personally. Being lumped in with the Muslim culture even

though she is Egyptian and Christian, does however weigh heavily on her heart. One cannot

assume that all Arab Americans are Muslims or that all Muslims are Arab (Manning & Baruth,

2009). Many times she has become depressed and disappointed with her status or situation.

Mrs. Doe stated that the United States is a beautiful, fascinating, wonderful place but it comes
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with its bad side also. Returning home would be nice, but until the violence stops, doing so

will never be an option. With her children's future and education a top priority, the United States

will remain their home.

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References

Doe, J (2017, April 8th). Immigrant Interview [Personal interview]

Manning, M & Baruth, L. (2009). Multicultural Education of Children and Adolescents, Boston,

MA: Pearson Learning Solutions.